Sheep Camp Update

[Mooney, Mark]

We have missed Fly greatly, but this weekend has shown us that it is definitely what she needs.  Before I get completely ahead of myself,

I guess that I better start the update...

 

Suki, Sparkle, Champ, Sandi, and I were out at a Flyball tournament this weekend.  It was in New Caney Tx which is about an hour NE of us...  We

had been running Flyball all morning when Suki got a text from Joy, asking if we were going to come out to her place on Sat.  It seems that she

is going to be in Kentucky at the Bluegrass Classic Herding trial, and given travel time, etc will be gone for the week.  So, she wanted to know if

we would be able to take Fly home for the week, and to bring her back after Joy returns for the other half of Sheep Camp.  We let Joy know that

we were in New Caney, and that we would contact her again when we were leaving with an estimate of when we would get to her place.  We left the flyball

tournament around 5:30, and texted Joy that we would probably be there in about 1 1/2 - 2 hours, which actually proved to be fairly accurate.  When we arrived,

we let ourselves in the front gate, and it quickly became obvious that I was going to have to walk ahead of the Suburban.  You see, there were sheep

scattered about all over the place grazing, meandering across the private dirt road, etc...then there were the "polar bears" who were out among them - Joy's big

livestock guardian dogs.  I walked down the road, shooing sheep out of the way - lightly tapping them on the rump as necessary.  No sooner would I get a

section of the road cleared, than it would fill up again, only this time with big white dogs.  We slowly made our way several hundred feet down the road, when

one of Joy's BCs decided that I needed some help - and that I was doing EVERYTHING wrong as I was moving the sheep away from me - so he went into a

BIG outrun and started driving a dozen or so sheep right back to me...

 

Joy saw what was going on, and I am certain that she got a bit of a chuckle out of it, loudly called her dog, and we made our way to the pens.  We talked for

a few minutes, and then Joy went to get Fly.  Fly came bounding out of the house, spotted me and wagged all over, and then spotted Suki and went running

to her.  I don't think that she could really believe that we were REALLY there.  After a few minutes of letting us pet Fly, Joy started out to the gate to the B

course.  She called Fly and told her that they need to get those sheep out, and after a couple more moments Fly went running...  What we saw next completely

blew our minds - although distracted, Fly was seriously working sheep.  There must have been a couple of dozen out there, as well as two cows and a calf.  Joy

sent Fly out on her outrun and had her gather the sheep.  She then had Fly drive them through several panel gates and maneuver them all around the course. 

I could tell that Fly was a bit distracted by our presence, as she did "fly" over to us a couple of times to check to see that we were REALLY still there, but she

went back when Joy called her and continued working.  Joy finally had Fly drive the sheep over to the human sized gate which she and Fly used to enter B course,

opened the gate, and had Fly drive the sheep on through.  By this time, Suki and I were totally speechless.  It was really one of the most beautiful things that

I have EVER seen...and I wish that I had been able to video it.  It didn't occur to me until almost an hour later that I could have gotten some of it with my phone...

 

That wasn't the last surprise though.  While talking with us afterward, she said that she really wished that we had seen Fly when she worked her that morning, and

that what we saw was nothing compared to it.  She also mentioned that although Fly's outrun was a little flat at the top, it was probably due to the fact that she had

just started working outruns with her that morning.  It will be very interesting to see how far Fly progresses in the next segment of sheep camp.

 

 

Mark

 

Lock-Eye Champ CGC, FDCh-G, HT (Sheena x Sage 06)
Quest Blessing in Disguise “Fly” (Lily x Dash 08) [Temporarily back home]
Sandi FDCh-S (Lab), Sparkle FM (Toller)
Cypress (Houston), TX

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From: mach...@googlegroups.com [mailto:mach...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Belinda Hunnicutt
Sent: Saturday, May 08, 2010 7:16 AM
To: mach...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: {MACHO-BC} Its only been two days so far and I can tell...

Mark,

 

I don't know how in the world you and Suki are able to handle Fly going to camp!  I admire both of you for giving Fly what is needed but I know how much you both miss Fly!

 

It's been over 2 weeks now and I bet you both are already planning a great homecoming for Fly!

 

Any updates on camp activities??

 

Please let us know when Fly is coming home.

 

Belinda

 

----- Original Message -----

From: Mooney, Mark

To: mach...@googlegroups.com

Sent: Friday, April 23, 2010 12:11 PM

Subject: {MACHO-BC} Its only been two days so far and I can tell...

...that it is going to be a LOOOOONG Month.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Suki and I have been talking things over since the Herding trial, and finally came to a decision...

Fly went bye-bye on Tuesday.

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Before any of you jump to any conclusions, NO we didn't sell her.

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We didn't give her away either...

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We decided that we were going to take Judge Lisa's advice and arrange for Fly to go to Joy's

for a month...to her own private sheep camp.  We knew that since we don't have stock, that this

would be the only way that we can get her the work that she needs.  Suki Emailed Joy yesterday

and it sounds like things are going well.  Fly and Lanee were out running on A course while there

were sheep over on B course, and Fly didn't pay any attention to them at all... 

 

Mark

 

Lock-Eye Champ CGC, FDCh-G, HT (Sheena x Sage 06)
Quest Blessing in Disguise “Fly” (Lily x Dash 08) [At Sheep Camp]
Sandi FDCh-S (Lab), Sparkle FM (Toller)
Cypress (Houston), TX

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[Tas...@aol.com]

sounds like Fly is doing wonderful..and she missed you which is good ;)

Ann

[Jen Thompson]

AWESOME JOB!!!

Jen Thompson

Quest Border Collies 
www.questbordercollies.4t.com 

 

 

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From: Mark....@hp.com
To: ques...@googlegroups.com
Date: Mon, 10 May 2010 15:33:23 +0000
Subject: Sheep Camp Update

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[pps...@aol.com]

Mark,

  

    I am thrilled for all of you!  Sounds like you found Fly her job!!!  She is getting all that done in just 2 weeks, imagine what she will be like at the end of 4! 

    The Bonus is that you get to see her in the middle of all that training.

    Even though you descrbed it so well, video would be a plus next time! LOL!

Debbie S